Labor Day Zoo Trip

Day 3 of my exercising and going strong. Labor day and we took the train and got off at Clybourn and walked to Lincoln Park Zoo. Never again!!! It took over an hour to walk and then we walked all day at the zoo and then to a place to eat and then over an hour and a half walk back to the train station. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep last night because I ached so bad.



Michael was afraid of the goat who is eating the cracker crumbs off his chair! He was afraid he was going to eat him!




Michael and Mom




















Looking for our stop after a very long day.

Day of rest

Today is a day that God graciously gave us to rest. I love Sundays. We were going to go the zoo but since the weather doesn't look to good we are going tomorrow. We had a nice breakfast and then will leave for Church in an hour. I'm hoping to try and make a homemade deep dish pizza this evening.

No walking today. It's good that today is a day of rest because my body is aching from two days of hill walking.

"Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are highter than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55: 6-9

Day Two

What an absolutely beautiful day. I went for a 30 minute walk. I had my ipod on and so enjoyed it. I didn't have to take my sidekick with me so there was no weighlifting involved! Great day.

This is the day the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Day One

I put them on and I went for a 45 minute walk. I pushed Michael in the jogging stroller, which is an extra 55 pounds I'm pushing up the hills.

We walked alongside the lake for awhile. I have so much to be thankful for. I'm healthy and I can just go out the door and walk in a beautiful place.

We went off the road for awhile through the park and found this path. It lead to a big hill (for sledding in the winter!) We also went to the park and helping Michael climb the ladders and go down the slides is like weightlifting.

You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

Exercise

Why is exercising so hard for me? Once I get outside and start walking I feel great! It's just the getting out there that is so hard. But I know with all my heart it is something I need to do. It is good for me, it clears my mind, I see the beauty of God's creation, it gives me time to think and pray.

I am going to use this blog to record my exercising attempts. Each day I hope to write what I did and how I felt and what I thought about.

I start today!

Matt's Graduation

So, one day your husband of one year comes home and is excited about something he listened to on the radio. "We are going to homeschool our children"!

Me - "What children"? "Is that legal"? "I am not a teacher"!

But thus began our journey. I'm not saying it was easy, at times it was downright hard. But I was blessed with a son who was diligent in schoolwork and had dreams that he pursued. This May he graduated with a degree in accounting. Matt I am so proud of all your hardwork and I love you so much.





I cannot even express the joy I felt inside watching him walk in. (He's the one who's looking towards the audience)

Adi, Michael and Kristy. (I'm the photographer)

SOMEDAY????

Treadmill Time

Michael physical therapist wants him walking on the treadmill each day. I figured out a way to motivate him. TV with headphones on!

It kept his head straight and his body lined up.

He walked for 12 minutes!

Our Heavenly Father

Said the Robin to the Sparrow,
"I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.

Said the Sparrow to the Robin,
"Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.



"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are yo not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life"? Matthew 6:25-27

Opinions about me from my 3 children

Michael - Age 10

Kristy - Age 20





Matt - Age 21








These are a list of questions I asked my 3 children Matt, Kristy, & Michael (via his talker). It's interesting to see what your kids think about you and the differences between them.

1. What is something mom always says to you?

Matt - "that I'm smart"

Kristy - "your an adult now"
Michael - "stop kicking!"



2. What makes mom happy?

Matt - God and her family
Kristy - when no one is fighting
Michael - doing school



3. What makes mom sad?

Matt - the thought of any of her kids not going to Heaven
Kristy - when everyone is mad
Michael - Kristy



4. How does your mom make you laugh?

Matt - by telling me stories that she has told me a million times and forgot she told me....and when she's tired
Kristy - she doesn't
Michael - she tickles me



5. What did your mom like to do when whe was a child?

Matt - not sure
Kristy - ride horses
Michael - gymnastics



6. How old is your mom?

Matt - old
Kristy - 46
Michael - old



7. How tall is your mom?

Matt - she's short 5 foot 3 inches
Kristy - 5 foot 2 1/2 inches
Michael - I don't know



8. What is your mom favorite thing to do?

Matt - be with her family, friends, and church...and alone time to read or watch tv
Kristy - go on computer
Michael - work



9. What does your mom do when your not around?

Matt - worry about me
Kristy - sleep
Michael - sleep

10. If your mom became famous, what will it be for?

Matt - caring too much
Kristy - a preacher
Michael - I don't know

11. What is your mom really good at?

Matt - being a mother
Kristy - cooking
Michael - babysitting

12. What is your mom not good at?

Matt - staying up late
Kristy - correcting people especially when their not wrong
Michael - baseball

13. What is your mom's job?

Matt - she has too many jobs
Kristy - being a mom
Michael - babysitting and cleaning

14. What is your mom's favorite food?

Matt - pizza
Kristy - pizza
Michael - cookies

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

Matt - everything
Kristy - all that she does
Michael - her work

16. What cartoon character would your mom be?

Matt - Winnie the Pooh
Kristy - Piglet
Michael - Ruby from "Max & Ruby"

17. What do you and your mom do together?

Matt - alot
Kristy - nothing
Michael - school

18. How are you and your mom the same?

Matt - I am a social butterfly like her...I am emotional like her....we are the same in alot of things
Kristy - were not the same
Michael - we both wear glasses

19. How are you and your mom different?

Matt - she worries more than me, I'm male she's female
Kristy - she's emotional, I'm not
Michael - I have a talker, g-tube, & braces, she doesn't

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

Matt - The way she smiles at me, the way she talks to me, and everything she's done for me
Kristy - she tells me
Michael - she tells me

Take nothing for granted

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day. I took Michael to the park. As he walked ahead of me I was filled with such joy to see him "ahead" of me. With the other two I took so much for granted. But with this little guy many things are so special. This boy, we were told when he was a baby, would probably not be able to do much. I wish so much the doctors could have been at the park with us yesterday! After we played at the park we "walked" over to the skateboard park and watched the boys do their crazy tricks (none of them wearing helmets!). Michael had so much fun, I actually think he's just as happy to watch as he would be if he was doing it. Thank you so much God for the happiness and joy Michael has!

On August 8th, when she was 18 she became a believer in Christ. He was 20.

She was reading an advertisement paper from a Christian bookstore and saw "born again Christian seeking Christian friends", so she wrote not knowing if it was a he or a she. She got a letter back and they began an friendship in Chris sharing their joy in their faith. their friendship grew deeper and they began to spend much time together. They fell in love and on August 8th, without him knowing this day was special to her, he asked her to marry him. They vowed before God to love each other forever, through hard times and good times, in sickness and in health.

God added to their family first a son and then a daughter. Then God decided to bless them with a third child, a son born with special needs. Would they still trust God? Would they cling to each other through this hard time? Would he love her as she struggled to accept?

This is where their love story truly began. No matter how hard it got they learned together to hold onto God and to each other. When she was down, he lifted her up and when he was down, she lifted him up. Together with God they grew as a family, they faced life with joy. A joy that has been with them for 24 years this February 8th!

I AM THE CHILD

I am the child who cannot talk. You often pity me, I see it in your eyes. You wonder how much I am aware of - I see that as well. I am aware of much - whether you are happy or sad or fearful, patient of impatient, full of love and desire,or if you are just doing your duty by me. I marvel at your frustration knowing mine to be far greater, for I cannot express myself or my needs as you do.

You cannot conceive my isolation, so complete it is at times, I do not gift you with clever conversation, cute remarks to be laughed over and repeated. I do not give you answers to your everyday questions, responses over my well-being, sharing my needs, or comments about the world about me. I do not give you rewards as defined by the world's standards - great strides in development that you can credit yourself; I do not give you understanding as you know it.

What I give you is so much more valuable - I give you instead opportunities. Opportunities to discover the depth of your character, not mine; the depth of your love, your commitment, your patience, you abilities; the opportunity to explore your spirit more deeply than you imagined possible. I drive you further than you would ever go on your own, working harder, seeking answers to your many questions with no answers. I am the child who cannot talk.

I am the child who cannot walk. The world seems to pass me by. You see the longing in my eyes to get out of this chair, to run and play like other children. There is much you take for granted. I want the toys on the shelf, I need to go to bathroom, oh I've dropped my fork again. I am dependent on you in these ways. My gift to you is to make you more aware of your great fortune, your healthy back and legs, your ability to do for yourself. Sometimes people appear not to notice me; I always notice them. I feel not so much envy as desire, desire to stand upright, to put one foot in front of the other, to be independent. I give you awareness. I am the child who cannot walk.

I am the child who is mentally impaired. I don't learn easily, if you judge me by the world's measuring stick, what I do know is infinite joy in simple things. I am not burdened as you are with the strife and conflicts of a more complicated life. My gift to you is to grant you the freedom to enjoy things as a child, to teach you how much your arms around me mean, to give you love. I give you the gift of simplicity. I am the child who is mentally impaired.

I am the disabled child. I am your teacher. If you allow me, I will teach you what is really important in life. I will give you and teach you unconditional love. I gift you with my innocent trust, my dependency upon you. I teach you about how precious this life is and about not taking things for granted. I teach you about forgetting your own needs and desires and dreams. I teach you giving. Most of all I teach you hope and faith. I am the disabled child.

SNOWMOBILING!!!

I went to bed last night with a smile as I thought of the joy on my little boy's face.

My little guy has cerebral palsy. He cannot walk by himself but last night he soared in the wind! As he said "it was cold and fast"!

And I want to thank-you Florian for what you do for my boy. I know I overprotect him and you think I'm a little silly, but I want to tell you I'm glad he has you in his life. You make him fly, jump high, go fast, feel free.

May God bless you!